Video Game Mini-Review: Class of Heroes: Anniversary Edition

Class of Heroes: Anniversary Edition revives the 2009 PSP dungeon crawler that drew heavily from classic dungeon crawlers. It stays true to its hardcore RPG roots, favoring deep mechanics over modern conveniences or a compelling narrative. How does this hold up today?

The game begins with players taking on the role of a new student at Particus Academy, a school that trains adventurers. While the premise of blending school life with dungeon crawling offers potential, the story doesn’t fully explore this idea. Rather than immersing players in a rich fantasy narrative, the academy feels more like a place to accept quests and nothing more. Most characters and settings are underdeveloped, so the plot feels shallow and undercooked. 

Class of Heroes thrives on the traditional mechanics of dungeon crawling, focusing on party management and exploration. The early game forces players to think critically about party composition, as various builds affect how well the team functions. The game’s challenging design will beat players up from the start, with limited resources and the slow progression of character development. It’s a slow grind and certainly not for everyone, as modern quality-of-life additions in today’s dungeon crawlers aren’t present. 

Dungeon exploration is also a mixed bag. Although the game offers a variety of dungeons, many are procedurally generated, leading to repetitive designs. Despite these shortcomings, the game’s old-school charm and in-depth party mechanics offer a rewarding experience for fans of classic dungeon crawlers who want hardcore experiences. 

Class of Heroes retains the charm of its original release with bold and colorful character art. The enemy designs are all over the place, ranging from goofy to intimidating creatures. Unfortunately, the dungeon designs fall short, with repetitive patterns that detract from the exploration experience despite the varying themes. On the audio side, the game suffers from low-quality sound clips and overlapping effects. Visually, it captures old-school charm, but the sound design leaves much to be desired. Class of Heroes: Anniversary Edition delivers an experience catered to the hardcore dungeon-crawling fan. Despite repetitive dungeon layouts and some dated audio issues, this re-release has its merits, but should only be approached by the right players.